I walked the EWN Expo Monday night and felt the supercharged energy of the room as I strolled from vendor to vendor. The hotel meeting area was populated by women I’ve known, coached and socialized with, but this night was different. Here they were with their businesses on display and it was stunningly vibrant.

Pictured above is Catherine Avery who heard my 21 Results Driven Strategies talk for ASID (aka Things I’d Wished I’d Known When I Started My Business) last spring and subsequently enrolled in my Mastermind Group. There she stood with her freshly minted portfolio, website and marketing materials showing her design work off to its best advantage. Catherine is the perfect blend of talent, motivation and action. She looked beautiful that night, professional and calm.

I know the days and weeks it takes to create the pulled-together look Catherine presented. It’s getting the photographer lined up only after you’ve already created the breath-taking room design down to the last detail of perfection. It’s coming up with the budget, scheduling around your client’s hectic life to come in and disrupt their serenity for a day to create your marketing materials. Not to mention lining up Grandma and Grandpa to watch your 4-year old while you run out to buy the final tassel for the drawer pull. (Substitute your own punch list and you get the picture.)

All of that! Then, on Monday night, Catherine was the total pro, relaxed and eager to share her business expertise. So were all of the other magnificent women who had their work on display. Something happens when you visibly quantify your expertise for the world to see. The business owner gets transformed in the process and it’s magical.